First person: The ups and downs of curriculum writing

Writing the Nurturing Faith curriculum for Baptists Today has proven to be both a joy and a challenge.

Joy comes in the regular discipline of digging into the text, wrestling with the original language (which usually wins), and trying to get a good handle on what message the author hoped to get across in his (or her) own life and time.

Proponents of new literary criticism and some post-structuralists argue that authorial intent is both unrecoverable and irrelevant, but I can't buy into that. The writer's personal identity, situation in life and sense of purpose all play into the intended meaning of the text.

Looking for appropriate bridges between the writer's world and our own also is a happy challenge. When helpful connections pop into place, satisfaction follows.

On the downside, the weekly aspect of curriculum writing can be a trial, as deadlines are annoyingly regular. I sometimes get so immersed in writing that I have to intentionally set the work aside so I can interact with people.

A final dynamic goes both ways. I write for people who are willing to think and to ask questions, and enjoy explaining critical insights commonly glossed over in other curricula. There's a delicate art, though, to providing information that's enlightening without also being threatening.

Producing a weekly Bible study is quite a charge, but the privilege of visiting with so many regular readers makes it well worthwhile.